Bob Perry Audio has announced the release of Bob Perry Gate, a freeware side-chain noise gate audio effect in VST, VST3, and AU plugin formats for compatible host applications which run on Windows and Mac OS.
For those unfamiliar with noise gates (I remember that the concept of a noise gate was somewhat of a mystery for me back when I was making my first steps in music production), it’s a kind of audio processor which only passes the signal if it’s louder than a certain threshold. It’s often used to clean up noisy recordings. Taking a common vocal channel effects chain as an example, a noise gate would be placed before a compressor in order to prevent the build-up of background noise between words (because the noise in the “silent” parts of the recording gets louder as the signal is compressed).
Anyways, most modern digital audio workstations already include a noise gate of some sort, however the free Bob Perry Gate packs a couple more extra features in order to provide more control over the gating process. Along with the standard envelope (attack, hold, release) and threshold controls, the plugin offers three different signal detection algorithms (linear, logarithmic and S-curve) which make it able to respond to different types of audio signal with higher precision (and less audible gating artifacts).
Bob Perry Gate also features a side-chain input and a nifty gain reduction meter for monitoring the gating process visually. The side-chain input is a really useful addition to the plugin’s feature list, especially for making various creative gating effects in electronic music. The side-chain input is also very useful if you want to “glue” the bass guitar to the kick drum in rock and pop music projects, if you’re having the awful pleasure of working with a sloppy bass guitar recording.
The plugin is listed at €19,95 on the developer’s website, but it’s currently on offer as a free download. There’s no detailed information on whether or not this is just a temporary offer or if Bob Perry Gate will remain free in the future (you’ll probably be able to download it for free at any point in the future if you add it to your user account now, though). User registration is required in order to download the plugin, however, you won’t be asked to verify your email address.
It’s worth noting that Bob Perry Gate is available only as a VST3 plugin and that this format is not supported in some DAWs. A list of supported host applications is available on the product page linked below. The plugin is 32-bit and 64-bit compatible on both Windows and Mac OS though, so you’re in luck as long as your host supports the VST3 plugin format.
UPDATE: Bob Perry Gate is now also available in 32-bit and 64-bit VST/VST3/AU plugin formats.
Download
Bob Perry Gate is available for free download via Bob Perry Audio (4.43 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/VST3/AU plugin format for Windows and Mac OS).
Last Updated on September 19, 2017 by Tomislav Zlatic.
